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Tyler Ennis leaves Syracuse basketball and the Orange will do just fine without him

Syracuse Basketball Senior Tyler Ennis

Tyler Ennis took a seat somewhere after his Syracuse University Orange lost to Dayton six nights ago in the NCAA tournament and pondered his basketball future. And when he was finished with that chore, he decided (and quickly) to leave the Orange and bound off to the NBA. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y — For a fella who supposedly hadn't given the NBA a thought until just this past Saturday night (or until after his Syracuse University Orange had been hosed out of the NCAA tournament by Dayton) Tyler Ennis didn't waste much time before announcing his plans to skedaddle from our town, did he?

But that's all right. Some choices are easier to make than others. And opting to play basketball for millions of dollars rather than for free would appear to be one of them. Anybody who'd scold the kid for leaving SU in pursuit of a very attainable dream that would provide instant long-term security is likely (a) not a parent and (b) not a capitalist.

And, please, no more talk about Ennis' not "being ready." The NBA people, and theirs are the only opinions that matter, squint and see him as a kind of Maurice Cheeks-meets-Tony Parker. As such, they're prepared to wait while Tyler adds both muscle and a jump shot. And they're willing to pay as they do.

Now, what does Ennis' defection mean for Syracuse? If history matters, the answer is not a whole lot. Sports — like life, for that matter — is nothing but a revolving door and there's always the next person coming through. If the Yankees can win without Babe Ruth, if the Celtics can win without Bill Russell, if the Packers can win without Bart Starr (and they all have), the Orange can certainly win without Tyler Ennis.

Remember, the graveyard is filled with indispensable people. And remember, too, that Michael Carter-Williams, the NBA's presumptive rookie of the year, departed prematurely last spring … and SU was better for it in the winter.